What Was Lost
by FrostbittenDeath
Summary: An immediate continuation of Sibling Rivalry. As her past once more begins to haunt her with awful reimaginings, Frost now struggles to find her humanity. Will she finally be able to close the last chapter within the book of her life and lay everything to rest once and for all? Or will it all be too much for her to handle, even if Blaze and Silver decide to help?
1. Tears of Joy

_Well, well, well. It's been a little while since the end of **Sibling Rivalry**, hasn't it? But here it is. Part 3, the third and final part, of the Blaze/Frost story. For those just now catching up, let me give a brief summary of the events leading up to this point:_

_In **The Cold Shoulder**, Frost gets hurt and Blaze is a witness to that. This leads to Frost promptly inflicting self harm upon herself in where she wants to symbolize herself as the forefather of misanthropic independence and cynicism, as well as hating Blaze just because she was in the crowd (it's long, so PM me if you want to know all the details of them not getting along). Frost and Blaze meet in the city and exchange nasty verbal blows with one another before Frost damages her and walks away._

_Continuing onward exactly one year later, **Sibling Rivalry** deals directly with Frost and Blaze's negative relationship and even brings Silver into the fray._

_The newest edition is a continuation of **Sibling Rivalry** and is the final chapter of Frost's life summed up. It will explain why Frost is the way she is and it will clear up all the problems of Frost's past. It'll clear up the problems she has with Silver, and if I'm feeling really good about this, maybe I'll even shed some light on who their parents are (of course, Blaze obviously doesn't mention her parents in the series, nor does SEGA reveal any details about Blaze's parents, if she had any)._

_So I do believe I'm done babbling here. Do enjoy the story and don't forget to check out **The Cold Shoulder** and **Sibling Rivalry**, the two stories that took place before this. _

_Sincerely,  
FrostbittenDeath_

_**DISCLAIMER:** Frost the Cat is copyright of Charles C. Houston, 2008-2012; Blaze the Cat and Silver the Hedgehog are copyright of Sonic Team and Sega, 2005-2012_

* * *

_**What Was Lost:  
Ch. 01: Prologue/Tears of Joy**_

"B-Blaze, thank you…"

"You're welcome, my sister."

The true nature of love had been shown that night. That night where Frost got down on her knees and begged for forgiveness with all her heart from her sister, her one and only twin sister, Blaze the Cat, the guardian of the Sol Emeralds. There wasn't a single thing at this moment in time where things couldn't go back to the way things used to be when they were children. Frost practically threw herself in her sister's arms as a child, pressing against her breast, repeating the same three-word phrase without pause. It wasn't that much of a chore to say that now since she was so inundated with sorrowful emotion inside of her, budding marvelously with unrequited mounds of love and caring that had never been seen before. It was easy compared to earlier, but she just hoped that she kept this same prevalence for later times. She didn't want to find herself wavering many times before.

Never again. She felt reborn, revitalized, lifted higher than she had ever been. She didn't know exactly what happened to her that caused her to make such an open confession to her sister, but it worked out for the better. She'd never been this happy in her life. Such pristine happiness was brimming inside her like gold, its quality never to be diminished for the rest of her days. As long as Blaze was near her, she felt like anything could be accomplished. They were two parts of one whole, twin sisters of symphonic grace. Together, their love was unbreakable. Neither of them would let it simmer. Frost sure wasn't going to be the bearer of bad news ever again. "Blaze, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! All I've ever done to you I regret with all my heart! I'll never leave you for the rest of my days if you let me into your life!"

Blaze's eyes were flowing with tears, probably not as much as Frost's, though. She'd been through much, much more than Blaze did, and it showed in her attitude and outlook on life. But it seemed like Frost had seen the light. She'd seen the prominent path to goodness and decided to follow it. She stumbled a bit on the way, but she managed to overcome. And at the end of the path was a very special person that would ensure her personal salvation: Blaze. "Already done," she said tearfully.

"B-Blaze…my sister."

"Yes, that's right. You're my sister, my one and only."

Inside, Silver watched the spectacle of love unfold from his bed sheets. It's been a long time since he'd seen something so intense before. It was unbelievable. He'd never seen Frost in such a flurry before. Anyone could look at Frost and vouch that she had her moments of virile disposition, but this was unheard of. He doubted that anyone else would see what Frost had now become. Not outside, but inside. Something like this was unprecedented from her. Then again, life was too uncertain to sit back and watch things unfold. Anything could happen in the blink of an eye, in the fraction of a second. Once was there before was no longer. But nobody could begin to explain it other than the ones who were there to witness the object or whatever it was go away. With that, the people who chose to view Frost in the dark light they labeled her would more than likely continue to do so. What did they know? They weren't Frost, and they probably never experienced loss like she. "Wow, that's intense," he chuckled as he nodded his head. "Frost looks totally different. Something happened. I might not know what, but I guess some series of events caused her to see things in a different light."

The moon was shimmering in the sky above. The lights of the city were being negated by the intense moonlight. It was almost as if a spirit, a mysterious entity from realms untold, was watching down upon them, blessing them. Both of them stood together in the cold wind and drizzle falling from the thin storm clouds. Pieces of grass flew across the streets, flowing down the stone concrete in a messy stream. It was, in fact, rather cold tonight. There was no way they would stay out here forever. Well, Blaze knew she couldn't stay outside for too much longer. Frost probably could. She was practically used to the cold. And even though that was a nod to her ice powers, Frost didn't appear to be phased by the cold. She seemed to be unaffected by it. Maybe she could stand to stay out here for a little while, unlike Blaze.

"B-Blaze, I'm cold… May we please go inside so I can sleep?"

"Oh," she exclaimed. "Of course. We can't stay out here hugging like this forever, can we?" She didn't mind at all that she pulled Blaze from her bedside to do this. She always took time away for her sister, no matter what. Even then, a part of her was saying, 'Go talk with her. She needs consolation. No matter how mad you are, don't let your emotions cloud what you know and believe in your heart is right. Frost is a part of that.' She held Blaze close and led her to their room. They entered the room. Blaze slowly led her to her bed and sat her down. "Are you okay?"

Frost's eyes flooded with tears again. Her lime eyes were swimming in her tears. She could hardly breathe. She'd lost count of how long she cried. Counting the months and weeks and days and hours and minutes and seconds she bawled her eyes out may as well age her fifteen years. How much pain did she have in her? It seemed bottomless how much pain and hurt she internalized. She knew she wasn't relinquishing it all. There was still much more that she needed to release. For now, this was a good start. She was doing well in letting her emotions flow. "I'm fine, Blaze. I'm just tired, is all."

Blaze smiled. "I understand. You get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Of course," she said. Frost moved her body onto the fiery bed sheets and cuddled up into a ball. Blaze tucked her in tightly. Frost sighed in serene pleasure as the warmth coated her. The delightful heat danced around her arms, her legs, her entire body. She became engulfed in the soft heat of the bed cushions. "I know this feeling. Warmth. What a wondrous…feeling." With that, she drifted into a deep sleep.

Blaze looked at her as she slept. This was a new state of peace she'd never witnessed in her twin sister before. "Wow. Look at her, Silver. Isn't it something?"

"Yep. She's definitely not the same, I can vouch for that."

"No, really. Come and look, Silver. There's something about her that I just can't seem to shake. It's like, a transformation. She's…different."

He heeded her word, got out of the bed, and walked by her side. What was Blaze talking about? Oh, of course, Frost sure did have a different aura about her; but she couldn't have changed that much. He was admittedly still a little gun shy around Frost because of their fight. Getting near her wasn't the easiest thing in the world. A simple challenge in its own right was to actually get in a range where she could attack. Silver didn't like Frost's unpredictability. She was just waiting for Silver to get near her so she could turn him into a popsicle. He couldn't say that she hadn't changed into this new, goodly Frost – that display outside was unprecedented for the black cat – but he was still a little doubtful of her permanent transformation. When he looked down at her body, his eyes had noticed something. Frost had appeared to be relaxed. She looked completely relieved and calm. Frost's face was soft as she breathed silently. Her body was caressed underneath Blaze's fiery bed sheets, completely altered from what Silver had seen earlier. "Oh, I see what you mean. She's not who she used to be, huh?"

All Blaze could do was nod. She gently touched her sister's teary-spotted face and sighed softly – such beauty, such finesse, such serene bliss on Frost's face. Standing there and watching her sister sleep was something she wanted, but it wasn't anything Frost wanted. More than likely there was probably a little bit of something within, but it was being suffocated by her overwhelming extract of emotion. It was definitely time to leave Frost alone for tonight. She crossed Silver and headed towards her side of the bed, sliding herself under the sheets with her.

Silver followed her back, heading to his bed and doing the same. "Well, isn't that something? I've never seen her like this before."

"I know."

"It's almost like something sudden happened, like out of nowhere, that caused her to see things in a different light."

"That's true, but it's more than that. I know it. If you had been out there with her when we were talking, you could see it was more than just one thing. It was an entire series of events that had plagued her life. Her circumstances had been tearing away at her for the longest time, and she just wanted to put an end to it all. She cried a lot, Silver. A lot. She doesn't deserve to cry anymore."

"Yeah, you're right. I just wish I knew her like you know her," he laughed.

"You know, Silver, I'm sure that she's let go of the feelings she held against you."

"Huh? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. She let out a lot of the negative emotions that were plaguing her. She confessed a lot of things with her mouth and her heart. And it was all genuine. There's no chance that she could hate you anymore."

He almost forgot about that. It'd only been a year since the argument ended in degradation. Silver didn't really want to bemoan about the past anymore, especially considering the person who was resting in Blaze's bed right now had it out with him twice because of it. It made him shaky thinking that the tiniest provocation could evoke her icy wrath once more. He drifted away from the topic and avoided Blaze's inference. "To be honest, I'm not 100% sure. Me and her go back a long way, just like you and me, when we were kids. The only difference was I didn't know her all that well. I mean, she looked just like you. I don't know if she surely has forgiven me."

"Oh, stop it with the deducing, Silver," she said. "Frost is different, much different than before. I'm positive that she's negated those negative emotions she's held against you for almost ten years. That's a long time to be angry at someone."

She did have a point, indeed. No denying that. But Silver was still a little skeptical of Frost. She knew how to hold grudges – and no doubt she held quite a few. He hoped that Blaze was right. Who could hold their emotions against someone for a decade and not feel any remorse against themselves? He wouldn't fully understand Frost's thought process, nor the process of her heart. She was just too complex an individual. "You're right. You know her much more than I do. There's no point in trying to understand things that are just way too over my head and," he nudged to Frost's unconscious body under the sheets, "she's definitely one person I might not ever fully understand."

Blaze gave a soft smile and decided to leave it alone for tonight. No sense in getting worked up over nothing. Frost appeared to be calmer than she'd ever been. It would have been better to catch up on some much-needed rest. It was a very long day, indeed. May as well get as much sleep as they could before sunup. Besides, it was another day of guarding the Sol Emeralds.


	2. Morning Memories

_**What Was Lost:  
Ch. 02: Morning Memories**_

The sun broke over the horizon of the mountains, engulfing the cloudless sky. Fresh radiant light engulfed the darkness of the night and drove it away. A new period began in the future, and it began in the small single home of Blaze the Cat. She stretched as the radiant sun rays bled through and swayed her sleeping form to awaken. As she awoke, she blinked twice before wiping the drowsiness from her amber eyes. She yawned once more as she did every morning. It was her own greeting to her spirit, vaporizing any other presences inside that would threaten to throw her back into the depths of Dreamland. Today was a new day, a special day, something for the history books. All the purple Burmese knew and hoped for as her eyes glistened. This early in the morning, she'd never felt so energetic. She knew why, though. Thinking about it would probably get her in trouble; but she couldn't hide it. It was all to the point where telling the whole world was mandatory. Then again, would they listen?

A gentle push came from her left side. With a few white strands poking from under the sheets, she knew exactly who it was. She nudged the giant clump buried under the sheets. It nudged her away and groaned immediately after, burying deeper.

"A few more minutes…" the voice groaned.

Oh, Silver, she thought. He wasn't going to get up. Nope. Silver was usually the last to wake up. It was funny, though, since he was almost always late to say his farewells when she had to guard the Sol Emeralds. He always took the time to extend a parting goodbye for that time. It was a morning ritual for the psychic hedgehog – one that he screwed up often. Oh, well. She took no time to attempt to wake him up. More than likely, he didn't want to participate in what she had in store today.

With an inexhaustible supply of energy already brimming inside her, she hopped out of bed. As she got her wardrobe and towel, she took a quick scan of the area before her. Several cracked picture frames sat casually on the shelves by a crooked lamp shade. Obviously, she couldn't quite shake the fight between Silver and Frost. It left an impact, a powerful impact. One she knew wouldn't go away for some time. Though there wasn't much in the way of hoping. Acting was all that could be done in the purging process. And speaking of that, it was time to act. With her wardrobe in hand, she headed into the bathroom and shut the door. Shower water proceeded to run.

"So I have one question for you."

"What's that?"

"What is the most important thing in your entire life?"

"Blaze."

"Hmph. I don't believe you."

"Wait! Hold on a minute. Damn it, wait a minute! What do you mean you don't believe me?"

This conversation was deafening. Frost felt it in her dreams. She wanted to wake up, but the clicking of heels and the bloodcurdling screams echoing across the vast white space kept her mind wandering. She tried to run. She started to chase after the silhouette of Silver. As she ran, the silhouette appeared to shrink in size as the voices got louder. The shadow disappeared as a speck in the vast emptiness while she was left alone. Each chuckle was an infection that got worse with each passing second. The dark mocking laughter kept on getting louder. Even as she covered her ears in an attempt to cancel the perverse laughter out, it seemed to remain stationary. The volumes of the voices dispersed momentarily, then came back around in a sonic boom to knock her to her knees. All she wanted was the voices to stop. She begged for silence. Just then, she got it as she heard Blaze's voice speak in a mysterious, feral, almost alien-like tone of voice. "Let go… Let go…"

In an instant, she cancelled out the dream and shot upwards, still in the bed. Sweat crawled down her forehead. She put a hand to her head to see if she felt warm. Nope. Just the sweat making her feel hot. She wasn't running a fever, was she? Those thoughts were strange, indeed. They meant nothing, though. Just a meddlesome nothing that would prove insignificant to the new life she was about to embrace. There was nothing worse than being distracted, and Frost had no right to be led astray by her thoughts during a time of self-realization. She managed to catch her breath and gulp some saliva down before crawling out of bed.

She stretched and took a few seconds to get her muscles moving. She did no more than a few knee bends and calve stretches. It was only natural to get brisk before facing the day. Looking around the room, she saw how small it was. She liked it. Just like her and Blaze's old home, it was compact. Not too big for a party, but small enough for a few people. Frost preferred smaller settings as opposed to ever-expanding places. Palaces, cathedrals, hotels, and other such places were too much to go around and it made her dizzy. Rooms that were suitable for two to three people, or even just one – that was her minimum and most recommended – pleased her. The small size was lovely, it was easy to find things, and she never felt bothered or afraid that someone would jump out from a far away space, causing her to jump out of her fur. She never felt beguiled with small accompaniments; although she'd never spend a day on that island again. Far too small and much too dangerous.

There was something she couldn't shake, though. All night, it was bothering her. It seemed to creep in her mind and boggle her subconscious being. She had to let all negative thoughts go. She had suffered too long. One more day of suffering and she'd probably go back on her promise on killing herself. Now the smell of lavender tickled her nose. She loved that smell. It brought back fond memories of their mom. Every other day she reeked of lavender perfume or some potpourri she bathed herself in every morning. It was enthralling to capture the scent of their long-lost mother. If only she knew where they went… Turning her head, she saw steam push into the room. Blaze must have been taking a shower. Speaking of that, she needed a shower herself. She still smelled of ocean and seaweed. At least she knew where that hypnotic smell came from, though.

As she waited, she decided to take a trip down memory lane. Since Silver was still sleep, he wouldn't mind her taking a peek at their pictures. Of course he wouldn't. She started at the bottom. Frost took a clear frame. An older picture of Silver when he was slightly younger met her eyes. It was in perfect condition. Nothing special about this picture enthralled her to keep her interested in holding the frame for more than a few seconds. She then moved to one of three cracked frames on the middle shelf. The farthest one to the left was a sickening picture of Silver and Blaze holding hands and smiling together. They looked like they were in a park somewhere. Disgusting. She gave a low groan before putting the picture back.

The farthest right one was the most damaged, though. It was another solo snapshot. It was of Frost. She couldn't make out much, but she appeared to be young. Frost slid the photograph from its cracked display screen to get a closer look. This was one for the record books. She would definitely take note of the black frame. If the day came where she want to preserve her memories (the good ones, mind you), because that would be the only time in her life she'd ever get to operate a camera, a black frame would be nice to use. A nice, beautiful oval frame for herself. This was another older picture. She was young, just like Silver. Very young, in fact. Her clothes were still white. She was smiling, too. A hearty smile. She remembered those days. She remembered when she bore some semblance of humanity before it was viciously torn away. Her laughter was whole. Her expressions were full of life. She smiled almost every day. Not anymore. Now, she could barely get herself to crack a smile. It was like she had forgotten what it meant to be happy, let alone have the ability to crack a smile altogether. What she became wasn't at all what she wanted to become. She slid the picture of herself behind its cracked glass and slid it behind the center most picture in an attempt to blot it out. Unlucky for her, they had no plans to leave her alone.

Frost felt herself choke up a bit. Her heart rate increased before even picking it up. As she scanned the other smaller pictures, this one stood out. It scared her, though. As pretty as it was, it was a reminder, a painful reminder of times she carelessly threw away. It hurt to even look at it, but it was still there. Her hand was mere inches away from touching it. The golden frame that encompassed this picture so flawlessly; she felt it would burn her. She didn't want to pick it up, let alone touch it or look at it. The latter was done. Then again, she was the one who decided to do it. God help her. Her hand struggled to reach for the picture, but she couldn't do it without shaking like she was about to have a panic attack. The task was far too great. She lamented again with her head down and her hands at her sides.

A groan raged from the sheets again. Silver awoke at the very smell of lavender floating sweetly in the morning atmosphere. He slowly rose up from his pillow and proceeded to wipe his face. He looked over and saw Frost by the shelf. He was too tired to wonder, or even assume, anything suspicious from the black cat, so he left her be for now. Once he was fully awake, he'd be more inclined to speak with her. For now, he just wanted to start his morning routine. Realizing how late it was, he crawled out of bed and stumbled to his feet. He scratched his chest like a rugged Hollywood star as he yawned. "Morning, Frost…"

"Silver?" she started. "Uh…good morning."

Now he was more awake, thus meaning he actually cared to use his brain now. "I see you found the pictures."

Was that a bad sign? Since Silver recognized her, she was nervous about what he'd do. She still felt the burns after their fight. Not to mention, she knew what it was like. Just waking up after such a relaxing and evoking sleep was numbing. She wasn't a morning person, and Silver wasn't either. Without that, though, Silver didn't really have many positive things to say about her in the first place. "Yes, I did."

"They're nice, huh?"

"Yeah, they are. Real nice. They bring back some…nice memories."

Silver scratched his hair and yawned again. Inside, he was still deceptively cautious around Frost. He still remembered their first encounter after nearly ten years. Such elaborate pain. He officially had a major hatred of anything freezing cold after that. Good thing Blaze was there to help that day. She was so unpredictable. She was such a wild card of emotions that he was afraid to get near her, fearing she might lash out at him in anger. He feared she was still angry at him. She was known to hold grudges; and she did not take them well.

The bathroom door then cracked open. Blaze walked out dripping wet. A towel with Frost's face on it was wrapped around her waist. She flung her undone ponytail around like a rock star and laughed as she got both of the two before her wet. "Sorry."

"All right. My turn," Silver said as he proceeded to the bathroom only to be stopped by Blaze. "Huh?"

"Sorry, Silver. You'll have to wait. It's Frost's turn. I'm guaranteed she needs a shower. After all that, she'll need a nice, long shower to rid herself of that stink. Right, Silver?" she said playfully.

Frost instantly agreed. Though she didn't know why Blaze was in such a good mood today, she just followed along and quickly got undressed on her way to the bathroom. She passed a befuddled Silver. He mumbled to himself about Blaze's decision. Frost wasn't complaining. She got to rid this horrible musk from her fur now. Frost entered the bathroom as Blaze closed the door behind her.

"What was that for?"

"Don't you think that she deserves to have a nice warm shower first? She's been through a lot, right? It's only fair."

"But I always got in the shower after you. Why suddenly change the order?" he offered a rebuttal.

"Because Frost is living with us now. Honestly, Silver, if you don't like that idea, then you can leave. You know, become a nomad. I won't mind. As long as I have my sister and I know you're okay by yourself, it won't bother me."

As Blaze dried herself off and made herself presentable with fresh new clothes and her ponytail pointing to the sky, Silver couldn't believe that Frost was going to be staying with them now. She couldn't have been serious. All that tingled from his brain spouted 'bad idea!' Just the thought of sharing his space with an emotional rollercoaster like Frost was too much to wrap around. He'd go insane in less than a week.

Blaze proceeded to go and get dressed. She strapped on a red bra first before going to the closet and padding through the long bouquet of clothes she could wear. Luckily, she was stuck with the same wardrobe. She took one of the tens of cape-like shirts and flung it on. Then, she grabbed a pair of tight trousers from her stack in the corner and slid those on. She pulled on them a little to make sure they were secure. As usual, they were. Blaze went for her fuzzy socks and gloves first before setting up her ponytail. She put them on one at a time starting with her gloves first. She always did her socks second. It was just natural for her. The red band was next. Moving to the drawer, she opened it, dug around the stack of clothes and felt something soft and flexible. She pulled it from the drawer and started to fashion her ponytail up. Lastly were her heels. She simply left them by the closet next to Silver's boots. After sliding them on, she was ready to face the day now. All the while she was getting prepared, Silver was speaking.

"Blaze, I don't get it."

"Don't get what, Silver?"

"Why is Frost so petrified of everything? Still. Really, it's been over ten years. Don't you think she should have gotten over her childhood trauma and at least attempted to make herself open to the world around her?"

Blaze opted to side with him this time around if not for one crucial point that would rattle his argument to the core. "Silver, if you were there—"

"If I was there? What do you mean if I was there? You weren't there, either."

"I never insinuated that I was because I know I wasn't; but I do believe what she says. I believe that she was a victim of those horrible people. I believe that she never had a chance to be shown love. I believe that she needed more care and attention. There are layers upon layers of Frost's personal life that go beyond the superficial. What she says means something, Silver. There's a story behind it, a real story that Frost wants to disregard. I commend her for it. You should, too."

"But you didn't answer my question. Don't you think that—"

"I know, I know," she interrupted. "Yes, I agree, but it's more than just time. It's the myth, Silver. You know about the myth. I do. Frost does. She can't ever live a normal life because of it. She's trying to purge herself of those inner demons. It's about that darned myth. With it constantly spreading, a normal life is practically alien to her. Do you understand, Silver? It's not something to take for granted. You may have forgotten, but she hasn't."

Damn! He hated when Blaze was right all the time. He always had something to prove and when he did, she always proved him wrong with either brute strength or factual information. Admittedly, she had a point. Never again did he want to recall the Black Cat Myth. It brought back too many bad memories of the times he saw Frost run for her life. It was sickening that a group of people could do that to one of their own. Like lions, they chased away their own and like tigers, they fed on their own. Only cruel, heartless animals without souls would dare to feast on one of their own and not feel the least bit remorseful. In fact, the way they carried on just about every day was an indication of how much they lost the will to care. But wouldn't that have meant they just pushed the myth to the side to pay attention to more important matters? They probably wouldn't notice Frost in that way. "You're right, Blaze. I agree with you," he said with his eyes turned down, "but…I said this earlier. It's been ten years and the people would have to have let it be by now. They would have moved on to more important things. Chasing after a simple girl is a waste of time after ten years of unsuccessful attempts to rid everyone of this "plague.""

Blaze sighed. "You just don't understand. When I was walking that day one year ago, I heard the commotion. They all screamed the same thing: 'Akuma! Akuma!' In horrible unison, the discord of voices mocked her. Frost stayed hidden for years before that event. When she finally decided to take a chance, it was obvious they taste was still prevalent to the people."

"But why? I don't get—"

Just then, the bathroom door cracked open. Frost came out with a towel wrapped around her waist as her black body shone in the sun's rays. Blaze welcomed her back from the shower. She asked if she wanted some ne/w clothes. Frost nodded yes. Since her old clothes were smelly from all that happened, she had no choice but to accept the offer. She hoped Blaze's clothes would fit her. Though they may have been twin sisters, Frost was skinnier than she was. Her time away on that island took a toll on her body. Hopefully they didn't just slide from her as soon as she wore them.

Blaze handed Frost some of her clothes. She returned her thanks and turned back to the bathroom. No, she wasn't going to argue with Silver on this issue any longer. It wasn't worth the hatred from times past being resurrected to haunt them. Far too much to handle for one lifetime. As fast as the black cat disappeared with the wardrobe, she reappeared with them on. Blaze smiled and laughed a little. At that, Frost blushed. "What's got you all in a tizzy?"

"Oh, nothing, Frost," Blaze responded with a grin. She approached her newly clothed sister and hugged her. "You just fit those clothes so perfectly."

"Well, duh. We are twin sisters, aren't we?"

She couldn't believe she said it again. How many times did she count altogether? Twice? Thrice? It was lovely to hear Frost actually acknowledge her as her twin sister, not some dirty stain on her ever-so-perfect tapestry. "Yeah. Right," she chuckled, a little embarrassed by her accidental obliviousness. Then again, she'd never felt such happiness before. "So, sister, are you ready to go?"

"Yep. Though do you think that I could wear my old clothes when we get back?" Frost inquired. "I just don't think I'll get accompanied to wearing your clothes for too long."

"Of course. Silver!"

Silver was already in the bathroom. The shower was already running. Blaze opted to step out until his voice rang above the running water. "What is it, Blaze? I'm already in the shower!"

"No, of course. I can see that. Can you do me a huge favor?"

"Sure! What's that?"

"Could you please wash Frost's clothes while we're away? She says she wants to wear her old clothes when we get back. If you could do that for her, that'd be great."

In an instant, the shower water shut off. His voice broke through the closed door. He wasn't going to bother to go outside for a couple reasons. 1) Frost was out there; 2) He was soaking wet and rather indecent. He didn't want to end up a popsicle. "What was that? Say that again?" Actually even with the water running, his ears picked up what she said the first time. He just wanted to be perfectly sure he caught all of what she said because he swore he heard something he didn't want to.

"I asked if you could wash Frost's clothes while we're away. You don't mind, do you?"

"Yeah. You wouldn't want li'l ol' me walking around naked and cold, huh, Silver?" Frost smugly added.

She was still here? He thought they departed already. Just hearing Frost's voice was more horrifying than seeing her face. Knowing what she looked like was nothing when compared to imagining the nasty look on her face when she spoke behind closed doors. Such a terrible voice that sounded so counterproductive from Blaze's soft-spoken calm voice. Hers was trembling, dark, despondent, and petrifying. Even when she was happy – this was the closest the black cat could ever come to sounding happy – she barely sounded any different than when she was depressed and angry at the world. Either way, it shook him to the core. "N-no, Frost. Y-you don't d-deserve something like that," he responded in a shaky tone. "Sure. I'll wash them for you, Frost. Now you and Blaze go have a good time."

Blaze planned to. Even though she had to guard the Sol Emeralds sometime today, the time she had free was to be spent with her newly reformed sister. She couldn't help but titter at Frost. Not only did her outfit fit her, but it suited her perfectly. It was like she was looking at a mirror image of herself. It was so beautiful, really. Entrancing. Something told her today was going to be a fantastic day.


	3. A New Beginning

_**What Was Lost:  
Ch. 03: A New Beginning**_

The sun blared in the cloudless blue sky. Rays of light poured down upon the town. Blaze, entering the public eye, was unusually jovial. Happiness in all forms swelled inside her. "Isn't this great, Frost?" she said, her arms stretched out as she twirled like a ballerina.

"Yeah, I guess," she responded in a shaky tone.

Frost didn't know how to respond to any of this. She wasn't the type who looked at things with the most positive mindset. Present her with an ink blot and she'd see it as nothing more than a muddled splatter on a sheet of white paper. To her, it was meaningless. Or if they really wanted a more resolute answer, the most positive she'd get was a murky glop in the fabric of her life, a depreciative parasite feasting at her spirit as it slowly soured the value of everything she ever loved or cared about down to less than a morsel. The silence of her life consumed all she was and all she ever dreamed to be in that black ink spot. Nice try; and she especially wasn't the happy-go-lucky type. All this fresh life Blaze exhibited, the serene melody of her sister's laughter and giggling, wasn't her. However, it was something she used to have; and by the Gods, she yearned for those days back!

She didn't feel like reliving moments that would further vilify her already shattered conscience, so she left it alone. Putting that aside, she focused on what was ahead. There was much she missed out on, and it was unclear whether or not the future from here would be promising; though she hoped – nay, prayed for a miracle.

"So, Frost, what do you feel like doing first? We can do anything you want today," she announced.

"Blaze? Uh… you seem happy today."

"Sure am. What makes you say that?"

There it was. She couldn't quite shake the fact that she was used to seeing Blaze down on her knees or, at the very least, a little emotionally under the weather. She had this morbid curiosity in her mind that was all for seeing her twin sister suffer. But why was it still there? She thought she'd expelled those fantasies from her conscious when she broke down last night. It wasn't healthy keeping these nasty cogitations in her mind. They wouldn't leave, much to her dismay. She just had to ignore them. Somehow they had to be shelved away in the back of her mind before they permeated her already fragile mind once again. "Well, I…I've just never seen you in such high spirits before, that's all."

"Why wouldn't I be? I've got Silver, today's sunny and warm, I don't have to guard the Sol Emeralds until later on today, and the best part – I've got my twin sister back in my life where she belongs. I've every right to be in a good mood."

"Yeah, but you're bouncing off the walls," she chuckled.

Blaze lit up a charming smile and big, puffy cheeks that made it seem like she was filled with helium. This was officially a first. Frost had never once witnessed her sister like this before. "What? Does that bother you, sister?" she said playfully.

"Honest, you've never been this giddy before. Ever since we were children, it was rare to see you like the way you are now. Well, you had a smile on your face then, but now you're…practically beaming."

"You're right. Can't deny that," Blaze laughed. "I can't help it. I truly can't; and if there's one thing I learned from you, Frost, it's that hope is with us even in our darkest times. It might not seem it at first, but somewhere it's there with us. We can feel its presence near us, although we can't see it. Even when we feel like nobody can hear us, when nobody hears our cries out for help, little do we know hope is right there over our heads. How do I know this?"

"How?" Frost responded with curiosity. This was interesting. She began fiddling with her ponytail in her fingers. She was curious about what Blaze was speaking. It sparked a small flame inside that made her genuinely interested in what she had to say. Her eyes widened when Blaze revealed her answer.

"That night. I saw it in you," she said looking over to Frost with the same beaming smile as before.

"Really?" And here Frost thought she was still a monster in her eyes. No. This felt genuine, authentic, real, powerful, and breeching. She then felt a sharp pang in her chest as she toyed with her ponytail. It felt somewhat repentant, strange and a tad different from the other whirlwind of emotions she felt before. In fact, it seemed to take her back to last night. A sense of déjà-vu deviated from this strange pang. She took it and tossed it aside. She'd prefer to enjoy this time with her sister and not be reminded of times she wanted to forget. "That couldn't be. That's flattering and all, but I don't think there's anything special about me that could reveal some sort of emotional high inside. I know we're sisters, but…"

Blaze's smile receded a bit. She had to listen to this before. When they were children, the times they spent together weren't genuinely heartfelt. Trying to cheer Frost up usually ended up in her tearing herself down. She never thought a seven-year-old could know such words and terms. It hurt Blaze how frost was so utterly devoted to self-depreciation. Eight years later, she'd thought Frost had left those perceptions behind her. It was still possible she'd have to communicate with Frost with a ten foot pole if she fell down the same hole again. "Hey, Frost. You're special! You're special to me, and it shouldn't matter what anybody else says about you."

Unsure of what that meant, she took it and ran with it. Down at the core, it probably would have had some impact if she hadn't had such a devastating childhood. What was truly special about her? She wanted to know. What she was wasn't anything to get drastically excited over: an emotionally-charged rollercoaster consisting of hatred and pure animosity towards the world whose childhood meant absolutely nothing because of an ancient myth from a millennia ago. What was so special about her, and what did Blaze see in her that made her doubt herself otherwise? She let out a sigh and faced forward again, staying silent as they continued to walk.

Oh, Frost, Blaze thought. She wondered what Frost was thinking. She was an enigma. It was always a chore to figure her out. Usually upon focusing on one thing, she instantly jumped to another topic, often times unrelated to any topic before then. Sometimes she shifted topics, swapping them out like playing cards. It was a mystery what thoughts came after the original thought Frost tossed away. Blaze wished she understood her own sister more, but it wasn't her fault. She wouldn't let her in. As much as she wanted to, Frost just neglected to allow Blaze to learn more about her. She treated her brain like a disastrous mind field, quarantined from the curious fingers of those who bothered to feel her pain, and from the desiring eyes who dared to step inside and see what was within. Everyone was her enemy. Blaze didn't like that. She was so antagonistic towards anybody who tried to probe through her thoughts or feelings that she refused to hesitate in categorizing the entire population as her enemy.

All the while they were walking, Frost couldn't help but notice the amount of lingering eyes. There were so many. People stopped and stared. They didn't say anything. Just men, women, and children stopping and checking them out. In the middle of the street, on the street corners, on the sidewalks, from the conclaves of their homes, eyes followed and heads turned. Frost couldn't welcome it. She wouldn't welcome it. It was far too much for her to take. These eyes were mysterious in every aspect. Each iris was a slice upon her person. She hated being the center of criticism for every single person. It nauseated her. At the end, the sun revealed a dark alleyway just around the corner, not far from where they were now. It wasn't that far from a park, either. Assuming this was where they were heading, she zipped from Blaze's trajectory into the dark corner.

"Huh?" Blaze questioned aloud as Frost left her field of vision. What was she doing? It looked like she was hiding. Now was not the time to regress. "Frost? What're you doing?"

"I'm hiding."

"From what?"

"Look."

Blaze did as she said. She turned and looked around her. Mostly she was looking for anything dangerous or potentially life-threatening. Nothing of the sort happened to be around. She didn't quite understand why Frost was camouflaging herself in the dark. "I looked. There's nothing."

"You don't see?"

"See what?"

"All the people watching me. I know what they're thinking. They want me, Blaze. I shouldn't have come out here. I knew I should have stayed with Silver. Besides, I'm sure he needs to be taught how to hand wash clothes properly."

While Blaze agreed with that statement, the former was ridiculous. Even if they still had it out for Frost, Blaze was guaranteed to protect her. She wasn't going to let her down again. She hoped Frost would believe her. It wasn't easy telling her sister things anymore. Too much negativity killed her empathy and left her an open book anybody could handwrite in. She was a mystery that hurt Blaze's heart, and they wouldn't allow her to accept the differences that made her sister who she was. Not anymore. It was time to turn over a new leaf, start a new beginning, and if the people weren't going to assist in paving that path to a better life, she'd do it all on her own.

"Hold on, Frost. I'll be right back."

She heard that clearly. Blaze was going to leave her. Not again! She wasn't going backwards again. Leaving Blaze's side wasn't an option because she felt protection, but she couldn't go out there in the public eye. It brought far too many scary shadows of her past lingering ominously overhead that she just wanted to dispatch from her forever. "Blaze! Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Um…don't be long."

"Don't worry, Frost. Just wait here. I won't be long. Promise."

And with that, she watched her sister walk away for the last time. She had no idea where she was heading, but she assumed it was somewhere that would be of some assistance to her and her continual plight. Oh, how she wanted to feel the sun against her black fur again; but there were so many people who recognized her from before. Even with Blaze's outfit on, she failed to trick people into making them believe otherwise it wasn't her. What on Earth did she have to do? No, she wasn't going to revert to old ways. It was time to stay positive. But was she? Not at all. She had to try, though. Something new and provocative she'd never attempted to in over ten years. It had to be done.

Looking behind her, she took a moment to look at the dark alleyway, the place where her sister was hiding. It seemed darkness was her best friend. She always hid inside darkness. She loved it, felt safe in it; protected; sheltered from all the condescending eyes that weighed down on her. She could see why still continued to hide. However, what it was that kept eating away she couldn't quite grasp. Last night was a heavenly experience unlike any other. Frost let herself loose, purging all those negative emotions she held pent up against her. It was ethereal, to say the least. How could she still feel fearful towards everything? It was confusing.

But even so, Blaze couldn't dwell over it too much. Stress was the last thing she wanted. She already had enough of that in her life. With guarding the Sol Emeralds and being a friend to Silver, her schedule was always filled to the brim. It was unlikely she ever got a break. Rarely did she ever have to slide in acting like a sister to Frost in that queue. Now was the time to do that. If only it was that easy. The people were very hostile towards Frost. Blaze couldn't recall one instance where she held a conversation with her outside of the hate-filled tirades she spewed like a raging dragon. As children, they practically knew nothing about one another other than the obvious: Blaze was a queen who guarded the Sol Emeralds daily, and Frost was her ice-wielding twin sister who just so happened to be a black cat.

Now Blaze had something new to focus on: The Black Cat Myth. That was always a mystery she never was able to accept. She remembered the myth and what it told, but she never fully understood what made it so deadly. It spread across many peoples, tribes, and kingdoms for centuries. It was told by kings and queens during communions, townspeople whilst feasting, squires as they performed their daily duties within the church's walls, even guards who stood tensely waiting impatiently for something interesting to happen. She didn't know how old the myth was by actual years or where it actually originated, but she could easily profess that it was quite an old folklore. Maybe if she knew more about it, she could figure out why these people were so afraid of something that obviously never existed.

Just then, a thought struck her. What if this suggestion made things worse for Frost? Would they still be close sisters? Then again, this was the closest they'd ever been in fifteen years. Would Frost truly huddle away into the shadows forever? Would she become a complete hollow shell of what she once was? Once more, she was practically a shell of her former self. Would Frost go on a vehement rampage and start committing vicious murders of everyone she hated? Would she actually end up taking her own life due to her depression? So many questions ran through her mind right now. So many what if's engulfed her mind. It made her thoroughly uncomfortable. Maybe another time, she thought. She was supposed to guard the Sol Emeralds in about an hour from now. According to the sun's position, it appeared about 9:00 AM. She wasn't going to pass up any opportunity to enjoy her time with her sister. But how could she if she was so terrified that she couldn't walk out the door without leaping out of her fur at the sight of a person? This made things harder. She'd figure something out, one way or another.

This was really hard. No matter how hard she tried to figure out how to cure Frost of this ailment, it always seemed some obstacle reared its ugly head, causing a detrimental hazard that sent her rollicking backwards. It would just have to wait. She would have to wait until tomorrow. She had a feeling her job as the future's sole protector wouldn't dare go unhindered for any reason. She turned around and decided to head back to Frost. Suddenly, she heard her voice rumble from a crowd surrounding her. Blaze slowed down her walking a little.

"That's right. You can just stare all you want. Go ahead and mock me, point your fingers, ridicule me, eat me and tear me apart. It won't hurt me. I won't let it anymore. Do you hear me? All of you who made me into a spectacle – you know who you are. I'm no longer your contraband. With this new light, I take control of my own life."

"It's talking…"

"I know. I never thought it had a mind of its own."

Frost had no conceivable idea in her mind as to why she was doing this. Anybody with any morsel of sanity wouldn't be doing what she was. "Got it? The past is the past. Let's just leave it there, all right? I've suffered long enough under you people. I don't deserve it any longer."

"But why do you cause us so much pain?" one of them sounded from the clamor of voices. "We wouldn't have hurt you if—"

"Oh, shut up," she retorted. "Even if I didn't show my face, you still would have opted to hunt me down and drive me away. Don't make any excuses, you insolent fools. You know what you did to me. Don't try to deny it."

"Frost!"

"Blaze?"

Suddenly, the people departed, leaving a path for their lone guardian to approach the creature. Clamor amongst the crowd grew partially silent. A few voices mumbled out. They watched as she walked to it. She got closer and closer. The closer she got, the more voices stirred up. Warnings were weakly given from shaky citizens trying to delude her concentration from its deceitful embrace. They weren't working. She was looking dead in its eyes. They exchanged a long glare for at least ten seconds. They were about to lose their guardian! "No! Queen Blaze! Get away from it! Stop looking in its eyes!"

"That's enough!" she addressed them strongly. "Disperse from her immediately. I tell you that you all are mistaken and highly bloated with naïveté. Return to your daily activities before you swell my rage even further."

"But Queen Blaze—"

"Do not argue with me! And stop calling me 'Queen.'"

Following her demands, the crowd dissipated, returning to their chores and daily lives. Blaze watched as most of them departed with shaky demeanors. Some eyes still continued to follow along as she held Frost in her arms. What did she see in that creature? She was flirting with the Devil. In time, he'd win her, ensnare her, and drag her down. They feared for her safety, for her life.

"Frost, are you okay?"

"Not really. I think, I think I need to sit down…" she said in a wobbly voice. She fell backwards in Blaze's arms. In actuality, Frost felt stronger than she ever felt. Never had she confronted a large group of people like that. She thought that they would lash out and rip her limb from limb. No. They restrained themselves as she spoke directly to them, practically yelling at them, demanding their full-fledged attention. Her heart was racing. Her blood pressure rose higher than it ever did. She loved the sensation, but she knew that was the last time she'd do something that risky again.

"Why don't we just sit by the pier?" Blaze suggested.

"I'd like that…" she responded weakly.


	4. Public Enemy Number One

_**What Was Lost:  
**__**Ch. 04: Public Enemy No. 1**_

It was hot; burning; practically a boiling inferno. Today was broadcasted as such. That slack jawed worm of a man with the slouched shoulders on the television every day reported on it. Kraven "Thundercloud" Benjamin, was his name. How stupid. Not like his actual name was dumb enough - homage of a madman hunter, anyone? - Frost suspected the thundercloud nickname signified one of two things: the recurring fading hairline that patterned his ugly freckled prune of a scalp that was about as foreboding and off-putting as black cumulus clouds or the fact that those same black thunderclouds hung over his head every time he showed his disgustingly horrifying face on the camera. Suddenly, the glass breaks and the lens flares up violently. No, nobody screamed. Or it could have been his predictions with the weather was so good (or so bad) that the executives figured it would be a fantastic idea - more of a gimmick than anything - to give Mr. Benjamin a weather-related nickname. Oh, how brilliant! Frost wholly assumed it was because of his expertise of predicting weather. Today was yet another example of his terrifyingly pinpoint accuracy.

A warm front was moving over the area, making for dry conditions for most of the day. It would be sunny and cloudless until the evening, temperatures remaining fixed in the mid to upper nineties until then. This meant Frost would have to persevere through the insipid dry rot of today's horrendous weather; and without her sister, too. It wasn't long before Blaze was called to the throne. Frost would be alone again. Oh, well, she thought. It wasn't like Frost had any other plans to occupy her time while her sister went on guard duty. Hell, the uninteresting pipe dream of life left her feeling so unsatisfied with herself that she could probably count all the individual sand grains on an entire beach to fill the time - forty-five thousand eight hundred and fifty six grains of gritty disintegrated rock. Now her mind was at ease. It had cooled down, the sky painted itself in fire, and everything was peaceful. But Blaze was still guarding those damn Sol Emeralds!

"It sure is hot today, huh, Frost?"

Frost only nodded with a hint of obligatory obliviousness in her eyes, as if to air her annoyance to Blaze's obviousness right now. What more did she want? Had she forgotten or did she hit herself in the head? Frost was an ice manipulator, just as Blaze was a fire manipulator - Pyro 'n' Cryo. Oh, God. How in the name of all that was holy did she think of that? She needed to disparage such hexing thoughts and look straight ahead because a draft swept through the barely blowing wind, reminding her that they were at the pier.

It was graciously small with a giant oak tree providing shade thanks to its overabundance of leaves. The tree sat plainly at the land's green edge, sitting with its aged bark and rigid infrastructure of its roots poking out of the ground in some places, just stagnant and unafraid of anything. It was like the subject of portrait ready to be constructed and the tree was the main theme, the citing vassal for which all great artists strived to create a marvelous work of art. It stood out - the tree - as its own piece, its own veil to which it was filling itself with the eyes of those people who watched the sunset from the pier underneath or atop the canopy of its unique ecosystem. Thank God for trees, as many would say.

A gaggle of laughter was heard to her right. A group of hedgehog and fox males dressed in fisherman garb boarded their vessel, a medium-sized fishing boat called _Adventurous_; a rather simple name. Frost wondered how many games of drink they must have played in order to decide on such a thoughtless title. She watched them release the rope from the bollards and sail off. She had to laugh. One of them was casually unhinging the furthest most rope from the tallest bollard while, at the same time, acting about as proficient as an Irishman after a rousing drinking festival in the middle of spring. His sluggish movements and half-retarded reaction times to his crewmates shouting at him to hurry along, sometimes in gleefully bombastic joking sprawls, made this all the more hilarious. But it wasn't their fault the fox was left behind. Foolishness wasn't rewarded with positive aftermath, was it? No, sir. Frost chuckled. "Blaze, you see that?" she said.

"What?"

"That guy over there on the working dock. His crew left without him. He was undoing the ropes and whatnot and he hadn't realized that, oh, I'm not with my crew! before it was too late."

"Frost, it's not right to laugh at other people's misfortunes or mistakes," Blaze said.

"Aw, come on. It's funny and you know it. That's another case of comically tragic human error. I don't know about you, but it made me laugh."

"I know, but-"

"And besides, don't you like it when your sister has a smile on her face?"

Frost was undoing in her persuasions. This was only normal, but it didn't really please her. Even when they were children, Frost always had a tendency to poke fun of people behind their backs. The simplest of mistakes preceded Frost's commentary. Spilled milk all over the ground? Tripping over their own feet and dropping something? She made a joke about their clumsiness. Blaze had hope in humanity. Frost did not. As shy and secluded as she was, she always had her people's best interest in mind and tried not to laugh as other people's mistakes, common mistakes that every person on the planet made. It was her job as a princess and guardian of the Sol Emeralds to put forth an example. Blaze only smiled sheepishly and blinked twice as if to agree with her.

Blaze walked onto the pier and sat off the right side. She looked down at her reflection. She looked good today, better than usual. The small touch of eyeliner really accentuated her face. Waving her hands through her ponytail to feel it left her feeling accomplished for her efforts this morning. She didn't wear a lot of make-up, either. In fact, she was against it. Her mother was one to have it accompany her face when she was guarding them, but it was merely for fashion, to make everyone look at her. Even though she performed her duties with unflinching dedication (like mother, like daughter, she thought), an extensive amount of eye-shadow, nail polish, fades, and other cosmetics accompanied to make her somewhat more pleasing to the eye of her servants. Well, she wasn't. In fact, all that make-up made her all the more unattractive, like a doll. And nobody wanted a doll guarding the future's most prized jewels. Blaze was proud of herself for avoiding the severe overuse of applied cosmetics. Though a little eyeliner never hurt anyone, did it?

Frost stayed under the large oak. Blaze tried to get her to join her at the pier, but she respectfully declined. She had nothing against Blaze anymore, but piers made her nervous. The sound of creaking wood made her nervous. In a world of shaky maritime architecture, Frost wasn't a fan of unwanted fear. She'd rather create the fear herself, instill it into others while keeping her hate confined to the prison cell of her subconscious. It wasn't smart to waste her hate on anybody. She learned that the hard way and repeating yesterday wasn't exactly in her queue of things she wanted to do over again. The fear of waiting for the pier to collapse with every weighted step wasn't what one would consider synonymous with "safety." Frost decided to stay away. "So Blaze, when are you going to be off to guard the Sol Emeralds?"

"Not too long from now," she said.

"I hope it goes well."

"Of course it will. You don't have to worry about me."

She nodded. She sucked in air and cupped a hand around her mouth and groaned; but not too loudly, though. She didn't want to worry her sister. She seemed to be having a good day so far. She was ecstatic earlier. Ruining that for her would make her feel bad. Frost was still a fragile flower and needed to be treated delicately. She needed to treat herself as such, too, otherwise all those tears would be all for naught. On one side, ramblings of the probably drunkard fox continued without pause, and on another coming close by in a small yard, the blithesome laughter of a grandfather and his son playing together. Strangely her confidence dropped a few points now. It was taunting her now, pestering her with its annoying calls and she couldn't help but answer the phone. Her mental patience started to corrode and Blaze was her sole solution, at least right now. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure," she answered as her hand swayed against the cold stillness of the water.

"How long have you been guarding Sol Emeralds?"

"How long?" She stopped and thought. "Uh... I'm not sure. As long as I can remember."

It wasn't a concrete answer for Frost, but it was just enough to slide by with a vote of approval. "And did any of those times involve me by your side?"

"No, not that I can recall."

"There."

"To be honest, Frost, I have been thinking about it for a long time, but I've always been nervous about the idea. You and I both know about the Black Cat Myth. I don't think we need to go into it; and you and I know that the folktale has decreased in relevance with time. Suffice to say there's been no denying that most religious folk still believe it has significance and have converted non-believers into believers. They buy into the fabrication. It's intended for them. People are sheep, Frost, pure and simple. They believe the stories that are told to them and they follow the crowd that has the most pull, this one being the crowd of stern and sometimes aberrant devotees towards a legendary folktale that predated the rulers of the Middle Ages."

All this art was beginning to annoy her. Frost didn't want a history lesson. She didn't think anybody wanted a precursor to a history lesson as opposed to being told the answer right there, unbiased and without all this whimsical elusiveness. "So what are you saying?"

"I think that it's safer if I don't take you with me just yet."

Slow burn. A slow applause echoed from underground. In fact, it was a standing ovation. The crowd cheered. Encore, encore, encore! Say it again! It was what they wanted to hear. "But why not?" Frost said. "I'm better now. I'm in greater control of my emotions. I can handle the task at hand, Blaze. Just give me a chance."  
Blaze pulled her hand out of the water and shook the water droplets from her hand. "Frost, you don't understand. It's not because I don't believe you can handle yourself. You've grown very mature, yes, but the area where I guard is located near a cathedral. The concierge gives me blessings before I go about my business. If any of the people there saw you, they'd cry foul and treat you like a demon. I just don't think it's safe for you to be with me."

"Aren't you a princess? Can't you tell them to lay off me, tell them to leave me alone? I'm your sister. I'm a princess, too, aren't I? I'm entitled to some form of protection."

"But, Frost-"

"But nothing, Blaze!" she said, almost yelling. "We're siblings. I'm different than you, but not that much different. We came from the same womb, we breathe the same air, we slept in the same bed, we played together as children, we had the same mom, the same dad - all these things, Blaze! The only difference is that I have black fur. That's all. Why even bring up something that people should have forgotten by now? It's not even fair to me. You know, you said it. People are sheep. They'll follow anything in packs if they're convinced enough that something is real, and I guessed they were ultimately brainwashed into believing this sick fabrication of a tale and decided to pin it on me. Why? Because I was different, because they needed a target. It was like they got a new toy, but had nowhere to test it out. The churches and all these other religious establishments decided to spoon feed these people until they were full, pamper them, and buy them all these toys guns, but there wasn't anyone to test its effectiveness on. They couldn't hurt their own kind, so they figured, "why not pick on the ugly duckling? Nobody cares about how they feel. Let's go into a goddamn frenzy and pummel them until they cry like the little bitch that they are!" Blaze, every year you go off without me to safeguard the Sol Emeralds. I understand how you care about me as the older sister, but I'm just as old as you! I can take care of myself now. I believe I can, so don't you dare try to undermine me and tell me that you've got my best interests in mind when you refuse to let me try new things. Think about that!"

Blaze was speechless. She listened with open ears and watched with disappointed eyes. The anger in Frost's lime green eyes came back with terrifying tenacity and Blaze didn't like it. It was the feeling one experienced when their best friend came back from a massive war zone. When you think after many weeks of rest and medication, he would be free from the styes scarring his corneas; only they came back to drive the apprehension that would return with a glorious snapback, creeping to the forefront of your once-relaxed thoughts, unhinging you once again for another round of life. She didn't like being around her Frost when she was like this. She looked up to the sky. Even though, according to the sun, it wasn't time, she pretended it was and got up from the small pier and walked past Frost.

"Going to do your job?"

"That's right."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Frost knew Blaze's schedule. She went to do her job every day at exactly 10:30 in the morning. It wasn't time yet. Blaze must have felt sore by her sister's ranting; but of course. How could she not. Frost felt ignored. Every day the same old routine. No day was different from the course of the next. She was sick of having a black label on her head for everything. She didn't want anything to do with the Black Cat Myth anymore. It was no more than an allegory, a blatant fairy tale used to pacify the masses and make them think about something else that was less of a hassle to focus on than that idiotic Iblis nonsense. Really, who really believed a story about a monster that resided in a sea of fire that could annihilate everything and everyone? That was supposedly underground, too? Sounded more like coincidence to her. Silver believed it wholeheartedly. She could only laugh at his stupidity to even let such an asinine thing give him pause.

"Bleh! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I'll tell you what, now, they ain't got shit on me, let me say. They know I'm the best. I got all the best tactics in the world. I done caught me one time a seventeen-inch largemouth bass. Seventeen! Twenty-one pounds total, right? It was big. Like, huge. I was the only one who ever caught a fish that gargantuan in our group. Everyone else caught lil' tiny rubbish, y'know? See the size of my boots? Yeah, imagine that, but cut up and shrinked down to like the size of goddamn, uh, lures. It's like they catch tiny little trout all day. No, they don't even catch it; and all that...yeah, uh, fishermen and all. Who's ever caught a frog before? Is that a fish? Nope. What retard'd even confuse those two? They're two entirely different things. See, I'm smart! I know what I'm doing. When I pick up that rod, I put some of my famous Leekman's ground beef on the lil' guppy hook - just a tiny piece - then toss it. I get the best catches. They won't even know what they're missing out on without me!"

By the time the fox was done rambling, he was already next to her. He didn't look very sightly with his scraggly shadow on his face, utterly untrimmed, his eyes which were heavy with lines to give the impression of bags underneath, sweat tracing his head (she couldn't describe how disparaging he looked if he got up close to her), and his gloved hands that were torn all around, revealing some scratches and cuts on his knuckles; it led her to believe this man wasn't a professional. He paced around and started looking in all directions, practically rolling his neck as if it were on a trackball. His black leather boots squeaked with each step he took. He was obviously stressed, more than her. Maybe she could try her hand at calming him down. "Um, excuse me, sir?"

"Man, I can't even...huh? Oh, hi," he said simply, mostly ignoring her as he continued his walking sequence.

"I noticed you looked mad. If there's anything I can do to help cheer you down-"

"Nah, I'm good," he retorted, "and besides, wouldn't you be mad if your buddies abandoned you on the dock because they were dicks?"

Frost couldn't say her situation was exactly congruent with his in severity or the fact that it just didn't make any sense - his entire rant sounded quite self-absorbed, actually, a trait which she, herself, had; so she could relate - but it bore some relevance to hers if certain key components were removed altogether. "Of course, but, uh, I'm sure they'll be back."

"Be back? Hah! No, shit, they'll be back, but not after I've already passed out from alcohol poisoning and the sun has long since set over the horizon!"

"Hey, don't think like that. It's not healthy for you. Always think positive. It'll help in the long run. I'm sure your friends will eventually realize that they forgot you and be back for you. It usually happens."

"Maybe. Perhaps you've got a point there. Say, what's your name?"

"Frost."

Frost. It was a deathly familiar name to the fisherman. In his mind that was temporarily bloated with blind anger and possibly a slight form of dementia, he could remember hearing the chants of the church's elegy being rung through the doors of their divine sanctum. Those people sure loved to preach their message of love and peace through spiritual healing. They also liked to talk about the hatred of others, too; and just like the rest of the town, it was made public the Queen had given birth to twins, one named Blaze and the other named Frost. The latter was, from what he heard, chased down during mass demonstrations by religious folk and regular citizens alike. There was a pretty good reason why she was cast out like a leper. The clergymen preached stronger than he did in a long time and scared citizens ran to the Father's inner sanctum in droves, many of them crying and shaking as if they were yearning for protection. Ten people, then another twenty, then another thirty – and the harvest continued. It was hard for him to listen to. He was for the truth, not propaganda. He cared not for the ramblings of a sidewinder. Then something came to him as the people were racing into the sanctuary, the echo of an older woman, a sweet voice in his head, that familiar tone that brought him the scent of warm cookies while the cold shell of winter beat down upon the town.

It came back to him now. Some of it, anyway. His brain was still rattled to the core with anger and the possibility of potential insanity, but he could now remember everything. When he saw Frost turn and smile at him, he backed away. She tried to ask him why he was acting so strange, but he only shook his head and started to shuffle his feet faster. "I know what you are! Monster! Demon! Curse! Plague! You're not meant to live! Stay far away from me!"

Again? She thought she was past those days. Who would really still linger on such a frivolous folktale; a religious folktale, no less? So what if a mere year had passed? Frost could remember hearing the congregation faintly when she was on the island. Those organ sounds – sickening; the backing choir – inhuman swine; the croaks and whines and moans of the pitiful sheep – disgusting. Thankfully, as the voice of the preacher jet across the air and bounce on the water like a smooth stone, she just heard simple sermons about spiritual retribution, responsibility, honestly, selflessness, humility, loving others, among other such topics. Frost was reminded of the hell she experienced those days. Such soulless hypocrites, she thought. It wasn't enough for them to torture her for no reason, but they were still spoon-feeding everyone with useless information that could easily be salvaged without feeling any guilt or aberration afterwards. Sadly, most of them didn't feel guilt then they chased Frost down. Why even bother to help anymore? Why bother turning over a new leaf?

She rested her head back against the tree and shut her eyes. She didn't know how long she planned to nap for, nor did she care. All she thought about was being alone for the moment. Thank Christ she was.


End file.
